Separator



T.'J. STURTEVANT.

SEPARATOR.

7 APPLICATION FILED NOV- 6, IQIB- 1,353,551 Y PatentedSept. 21,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

zzvenz or 59 5Q i I W T. 1. STURTEVANT.

SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- s. 1918'.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- THOMAS J. STURTEVANT, or WELLESLEY,ivrassncrinsnrrs, v.nssrsrNon TO swam- VANT MILL COMPANY, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A OORIEORATION OF MASSA- CHUSETTS.

sErARATon.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7 l a-{fluted Sept. 21, 1 920 Application filed November 6, .1918. fSerial no. 261,347..

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. STURTE- VANT, a citizen of the United States, residing at l/Vellesley, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Separators, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification,'like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

The invention to be hereinafter described, relates to separators for grading materials.

In my copending application, Serial No. 239,481, filed June 11, 1918, is shown, described and claimed a separator comprising acasing having a hinged cover and containing a'scalper screen carried by hangers 'depending from the cover. A master frame is mounted on springs beneath the scalper screen and carries one or more finer screens. :Each' of these finer screens has hooks at opposite edges of the screen clothing thereof adapted to be connected to carriers mounted on and movable with respect to the sides of the master frame. These carriers are connected by springs with the sides of the master frame and may be' tensioned to stretch the clothing by longitudinal members disposed intermediate the sides of. the screen'at opposite faces of the screen clothing, one of said members having a tongue mating with a groove in the other. The construction is such that when the members are drawn together, the'tongue will force or pucker the clothing into the groove and thereby tension the springs and properly stretch the clothing.

This is a good, efficient construction for the purposes for which it wasintended, but in some cases it is desirable to employ'a construction which is cheaper to manufacture. One of the objects of the present invention, therefore. is to provide a master frame which may carry'one or more screens, each having opposed marginal members secured to the side edges of the screen clothing and connected by bolts or other suitable devices with the sides of the master frame. The construction is such that the bolts 'may be readily adjusted to give the clothing its of the casing.

Another object ofthe invention is to pro portion of the clothing.

clothing are free, when the marginal. members are adjusted as described, theclothing therebetween will be uniformly tensioned throughout the length of the screen, and will be susceptible of free vibration throughout and capable of efficient grading efl'ect.

Another object of the inventionis to provide plates or members between the marginal members of the screen orscreens and the 'sidesof the master frame for preventing escape of materials over the edges of the 7 screens, the construction being such that the platesor members will admit adjustmentof the marginal members .of the screen: or

screen's toward the sides of the -master frame to tension the clothing as required.

Another object of the inventionis to provide the master frame with plates or mem-,

bers which may project up into spaces .between-the hangers for the'scalper screen and the side walls of the casing to prevent material'which passes down from the scalper screen from escaping into the sides of the master frame and the sides videjamaster frame with a bridge member extending transversely thereof and secured to opposed sides of the master frame. This bridge member serves to hold the opposed sides of the master frame in proper position and also serves to, receive blows transmitted by a pin from hammer means mounted on the cover of the casing, the construction being suchthat the tremorsproduced. on the bridge bar are positively transmitted through the sides of the master frame and through the bolts or devices connected to the marginal members of the screen and thence to the clothing thereof. Thus the clothing isvibrated to produce efiicient grading-effect, but without punching or striking any 7 As, a consequence, the life of the clothing is desirably prolonged. V o r g the spaces between V Another object of the invention is to provide protective means for the hammer pin, in the present instance, in the form of an anvil stud projecting up from the bridge bar and adapted to be struck by the lower end of the pin, a suitable sleeve being provided on and projecting down beyond the lower end of the pin and over the anvil stud, the construction being such that ingress of dust to the top of the anvil stud is prevented and the life of the pin is prolonged.

And still another object of the invention is to provide a casing for the scalper screen, and line screen or screens carried by the master frame, which will allow ready inser tion of the screens and master frame into the casing and removal therefrom.

With the aforesaid and other objects of the invention in view, the character of the invention will be best understood by reference to the following description of one good form thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a vertical section through the separator shown herein as one good embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 on an enlarged scale is a perspective view partly in section showing portions of the scalper screen and the fine screens carried by the master frame and mounted in the casing; and

Fig. a is asectional detail of a portion of a modified form of master frame and fine screens carried thereby.

- Referring to the drawings, the separator shown therein as one good form of the invention, comprises a frame 1 (Fig. 1) hav-' ing an inclined casing mounted therein pro- 'vided with a bottom 3, side walls 5 and a movable cover 7 havin its u oer end connected by hinges 9 with the body of the casing, and its lower end adapted to rest upon a transverse member 11 adjacent the lower end of the casing. The inner surfaces of the side walls 5 are smooth and uninterrupted by rivets, and have their upper ends bent v outwardly and thence downwardly to present seats 13 for the side margins of the cover and to contribute to the stiffness of the side walls. The construction is such that the screens and the master frame may be readily inserted into and be removed from the casing, as more fully hereinafter described.

A. trough or feed box 15 at the top of the casing may contain. a screw conveyor 17 adapted to feed the materials to be graded along the boX over a feed board 19. Materials flowing over this feed board fall onto a deflecting plate 21 and are guided there:

by to screening means for grading the materials mounted within the casing.

In the present instance of the invention,

comprising side bars 25 and the screening means comprises an upper or scalper screen and one or more lower or fine screens disposed beneath and adapted to grade the materials passing through the upper or scalper screen.

The upper or scalper screen, in the present instance, comprises screen clothing 23 (Figs. 2 and 3) having its margins riveted or otherwise secured to a rectangular frame end bars 27, said bars being conveniently of angle form with vertical flanges depending beneath the screen clothing. The latter may be stretched on the frame thus formed with the proper degree of tension required.

The scalper screen, in the present in stance, may be carried by the cover. To accomplish this, hangers conveniently in the form of plates 29 may be provided having upper inturned flanges 31 secured to the under surface of the cover, and having lower inturned flanges 33 serving as seats to receive the side bars 25 of the scalper screen frame. The construction is such that the scalper screen is inserted into and re moved from the casing incidental to the opening and closing of the cover. The hanger plates 29 preferably are mounted on the cover to leave narrow spaces 35 between said hanger plates and the side walls of the casing for a purpose to be described. The line screen or screens beneath the scalper screens may be carried on a master frame, the construction being such that the master frame'and the fine screen or screens carried thereby may be inserted into the casing and removed therefrom as a unit. This master frame, in the present instance of the invention, comprises a pair of opposed side plates or members 87 (Figs. 2 and 3) having U- shaped carriers or channels 39 presenting backs mounted on and riveted or otherwise secured to the plates 3'? and presenting upper and lower inturned flanges 41 and as.

Suitable means may be provided to maintain the side plates in appropriate spaced relation. -To accomplish this, in the present instance, the lower flanges 13 of the channels may be connected by transverse bars 45 conveniently of angle form, and the upper flanges of the channels may be connected by bridge bars or upper transverse members at? of wood or other suitable material. In the present instance, the ends of the upper transverse members are secured in sockets 47 mounted on and secured to the upper flanges of the channels.

To prevententrance of material graded by the scalper screen between the sides of the master frame and the sides of the easing, the side plates 37 of the master frame may be provided with extensions 49 adapted to project into the spaces referred to between the hanger plates and the side walls of the casing.

- flexible, and therefore, :screen clothing to be-rolled or folded into compact form convenient for shipment.

Suitable means may be provided to support the master-frame in the casing. To accomplish this, in the present instance, leaf springs may be provided'having their lower ends mounted on and secured to 2- bars 52 resting on'the bottomof the casing and having their upper ends adapted toIengage bearing plates 54 secured to lower flanges 43 of the'channels of the master .frame, said bearing plates being provided with flanges suitably formed to limit lateral and downward movement of the master frame with respect to said springs.

One or more fine screens may be carried by the master frame. stance, two such screens are shown, and since they are similar, a description of one will sufiice for both.

. Each of these screens may comprise 7,

screen clothing 51- of appropriate mesh having its side edges or margins secured by screws or other suitable means to side bars or members 53 which maybe of wood or other suitable material. The upper and lower ends of the screen clothing are freely will permit the This is an importantconsideration, espec1ally when new screens; are to be substituted for worn out screens'in separators already in use;

Suitable means may be provided for stretching the screen clothing to give the same the appropriate tension for efficient screening effect. To accomplish this, in

the present instance, the side bars 53 of each screen maybe connected by bolts 55 'or other suitable means to the side plates 37 of the master framei In the present form of the invention, these bolts 55 extend through the side plates, the 'backso'f the channels, and the side bars of'the screens.

Preferably the heads of the bolts are set.

in counter-sunk holes in the side plates 37 in order that thesmooth outer surfaces .thereof may not be interrupted thereby, and

' clothing and taking up slack therein from time totime as required,the side members are spaced somewhat from the side plates.

Suitable means may be vprovided to prevent escape of material over the side bars of the screens down into the spaces between said side bars and the side plates of the master In the present inthroughout the length thereof,and

frame. This means, in the resent instance 'comprlses plates or mem ers 57 havlng thelr upper ends riveted orflotherwise secured to the backs of the channels. These plates :or members may incline inwardly toward the side bars of thescreens, and'in the presentgform of the invention, are 'eX- tended thence; inward to present flanges i5 9 which may serve as seats :to contributefito .Fthe support of the side bars'of the screens The flanges 59 forf'ithe lowest. screen may rest directly upon the lower flanges 43 of j the chamiels, and receive support therefrom. The inwardly inclined plates or members 39 may have a sufficient resiliency or capacity for flexion to allow adjustment of the side bars of the screens toward the sideplates of the master frame as required. T i

It will be noted that the fine screen or screens may be 'mounted on the master, frame betweenthe upper and lower flanges of the channels and between the upper and lower transverse members connecting the side plates of the master frame. The construction is'such that the master frame is given the required degree of stiffness and strength to re-- sist inward movement of the side plates when the bolts are tightened for tensioning" the clothing of the screens.

It will also be noted that the area of the screen'clothing.

between the *side members of the screens is free and uninterrupted throughout, and consequently is available for screening purthe screen clothing are free, the adjustment of the side members ofthe screens toward poses. Since the-upper and lower ends of the side plates of the master frame will screen. clothing this tensioning will .be positively maintained'by the uniformly tension the side bars of the screens with of the master frame.

. Suitable means may be provided for producing tremors orvibrations of the screeni clothing to contribute to the eflicientvgrad- 'ing effect thereof, To accomplish this, in

the present instance, hammers .61 (Fig. 1)] i may be secured adjacent the outer free ends of arms 63 havingtheir opposite ends secured to studs 65 journaled in open bearings in brackets 67 mounted on and secured.

to the cover of the casing. These hammers may be providedwlth' aCtllttOI'SCOIIlPIlSlIIg cam fingers69 having curved ends adapted:

tosuccessively reach in'and engage the. I

under faces: of the free endsofthe hammer arms to lift the same. In the course of the rotation of these cam -fingers,'they will disengage the free ends of the hammerarms and allow the hammers to drop sharply downward. The camfingers may project from split bosses 71 secured to shafts 73 journaled in hearings in brackets, 75

mounted on thecasing cover. Said-shafts 1 bolts or equivalent devices connecting the Y the sideplates w sleeves 105 may be provided shown,

lower surfaces of the bridge bars.

ficient distance beyond the lower may be rotated by sprocket wheels 77 fast thereon connected by a sprocket chain 79. One of-the shafts 73 may have a pulley 81 fast thereon connected by a belt 83 with a pulley 85 fast on the shaft for the screw conveyer 17, referred to.

Thesehammers and the actuators therefor may be substantially the same. as those described and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 218,649, filed February 23, 1918.

The blows from the hammers may be transmitted dir ctly to the upper bridge bars 4.7 of the master frame, and the vibrations or tremors of said bars may be transmitted directly through the sides of the master frame and through the belts or other equivalent devices to the screens. To accomplish this, in the present instance, pins 87 may be provided of wood or other suitable material of a length sullicient to extend from a point somewhat above the cover downward through holes 89 in the cover, and thence through sleeves 91 having base plates 98 mounted on the upper surface of the clothing of the scalper screen and .secured by rivets to opposed plates 95 on the lower surface of said clothing. The lower ends of the pins may engage the upper ends. of anvil studs 97 projecting upward from base plates 99 mounted on the upper surfaces of the bridge bars and secured thereto by bolts 101 which project through the bridge bars and throughplates on the To prevent dust or material from access to the tops of the anvil studs each of the pins may be provided with a sleeve 105 projecting a sufend of the pin to receive a substantial portion of the length of the anvil stud. This sleeve may have a tight friction fitwith the anvil stud so that the pin will remain normally on the stud, but may be removed therefrom if desired. Similar pins 87, studs 97* and for the scalper screen. The construction is such that the hammers after being lifted by their actuators, will drop and deliver sharp blows to the upper ends of the pins, and these'blows will be transmitted by the pins to the anvil studs and thence to the scalper screen and to the bridge bars of the master frame. The vibrations or tremors of the master frame thus produced will be transmitted to, the clothing of the screens carried by the master frame as described. The materialrpassing from the scalper screen toward the screens carried by them'aster frame, or dust in the casing, will be prevented from ingress between the upper ends of the anvil studs and the lower ends of the pins. As a con sequence, the life of the pins is prolonged.

It is desirable that when the cover and scalper screens are lifted up away from the carried therewith. To accomplish this,

master frame, the pins shall be automatically the pins may be provided with cotter pins 107 ad acent the upper ends thereof, and a sufficient distance above the cover to avoid 1nterference with the downward movement of u 1 p, L p

the pins in, t1 ansmittmp then blows LO the master frame.

In Fig. l'is shown a portion of a master frame and screens carried thereby having a construction somewhat different from that already described. This master frame comprises side plates 109 having lower inwardly extending flanges 111 and upper inwardly extending flanges 113. These flanges are connected by lower transverse bars 115 and upper bridge bars 117. The upper flanges 113 have extensions 119 projecting outwardly and upwardly to deflect mater passing from the scalper screen onto the screen or screens carried by the master frame.

The user of the separator in certain classes of work may desire to employ one line screen and in other classes more than one fine screen beneaththe scalper screen. The construction of the master frame is such that one ormore screens may be employed therein.

The master frame, in the present instance, carries a pair of fine'screens, each comprising screen clothing 121 having free ends and opposed edges secured to bars 123. Angle plates or members 125 have flanges extending along and secured to the bars 128 and flanges extending outwardly toward the side plates 109 of the master frame.

In some cases and the bars 123 may be omitted and the opposed edges of the clothing may be secured directly tothe angle plate or mem bers125; lhe outwardly extending flanges may be connected by bolts 127 with the side plates 109, the construction being such that when the bolts are ti htened trie screen clothing is positively tensioned, and the outwardly extending flanges of the angle plates are pressed against the ,SlClE) "tes 109 to prevent passage of materia between them. In the present instance, the outwardly projecting flanges for the upper and lower fine screens are respectively above and beneath said screens, thereby furnishing convenient access to the bolts 127 to enable ready assembly of the screens in the master frame, removal of'the screens from the master frame, and adjustment of the bolts for tensioning the clothing.

Since the inner surfaces of the side walls of the casing are smooth and uninterrupted from the Z-bars-53 referred to, up to the upper edges of said walls, the side plates of the master frame may be mounted close to said 1nner surfaces. Thus the effective screening area of the screen clothing is desirably increased, and the master frame may be readily inserted into the moved therefrom as desired without hill? drance.

By the construction described, an e tremely simple and efficient organization is provided,

screens carried. thereby. This will expose the scalper screen and the upper screen carried by the master frame if inspection of all of the screens carried by the master frame is desired, the latter and the screens carried thereby may be readily lifted as a unit from the casing, and then the screens may be in: spected, adjusted or removed from the master frame as desired. 1

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment shown, but that various deviations may he made therefrom without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is 1. In a separator, the combinationfof: a.

casing, a master frame removably mounted therein having opposite sides and constructed to receive a plurality of screens for grade ing materials, screens removably mounted on said master frame each comprising screen clothing having free flexible ends and opposed edges adjacent opposed sides of said master frame; and stretching means connecting the opposed edges of said clothing with the opposed sides of said frame for positively stretching said clothing between the sides of the master frame, said master frame and screens removable from the casing as a unit..

2. In a separator, the combination of a casing, spring means, a master frame removably mounted within said casing upon the spring means and provided with opposed sides constructed to support a plurality of screens for grading materials, screens removably mounted on said master frame each comprising screen clothing having opposed edges removably secured to the opposite sides of said master frame, means for positively stretching said clothing between the sides of the master frame, and means for vibrating the master frame, said master frame and screens removable from the casing as a unit.

3. In aseparator, the combination of a casing, a removable master frame mounted therein having provision for receiving one or more screens and comprising side members and cross members connecting said side members to hold the latter in spaced relation, a screen carried by said master frame comprising screen clothing for grading mathe parts of which may be readily assembled andad uStedas required. When. access is desired to the screens,1t 1s merely casing, or reterials having opposed edges thereof spaced from said side'members, means connecting the edges ofsaid clothing with said side members to tension the clothing, andplates between the edgesof the clothing andthe side membersto prevent. escape ofmaterials' over the sideedges of the clothing. w

4.. In a separator, the combination of a casing, a master frame mounted therein and constructed; to carry a plurality of screens for grading, materials, sidebars secured to said clothing, resilient brackets secured to opposite sides of saidmaster frame and receiving said side bars, and means connects ing the bars .of the clothing with the opposed sides of the .master frameffor independently tensioning the clothing of each screen, said master frame and screens removable from the casing as a unit.

5. I11 a separator, the combination of a casing,a master frame mounted therein comprising side plates and transverse members connecting said plates bracket plates" connected to said side, plates and extending longitudinally thereof, a screen for grading materials comprising screen clothin and bars connected to opposed edges or said clothing; said bars being held on bracket plates, and means connecting said bars with the side plates of said master ward said plates to positively stretch said clothing.

6. In a separator, the combination of a casing having a cover hinged thereto, hanger plates secured to and depending from said cover, a scalper screen mounted on said hanger plates, a master frame removably mounted in said casing and having said side bars and flanges extending out-' wardly from said bars toward the side plates of the master frame to prevent material on the clothing from escape over said side bars between the latter and the side plates of the master frame.

8. In a separator, the combination of a casing, a master frame therein freely removable from the casing, and comprising side plates and transverse members connected to said plates and holding the same in spaced relation, a screen carried by said said '95 frame for positively drawingsaidbars 150- master frame comprising side bars and screen clothing secured to said bars; angle plates having flanges extending'along said side bars and flanges extending outward from said bars toward said side plates, and bolts or equivalent'means connected to said side plates and adapted to' press said outwardly extending flanges toward said plates to prevent passage of material between them, said master frame provided with means for preventing material from falling between the frame and easing.

9; In a separator, the combination of a casing having a cover, a screen mounted in said casing for grading materials, means for vibrating said'screen including a hammer outside of the casing and a pin extending through said cover and positioned between the hammer and screen, and means for excluding dust and material from the portion of the pin within the casing, comprising an upwardly-projecting anvil stud connected to the screen to impart its vibrations thereto and having a pin resting upon its upper end, and a sleeve inclosing said pinand stud and extending upwardly from the stud through said cover.

10. In a separator, the combination of a casing, a removable master framemounted in, but separate from said casing and com prising side members and upper and lower transverse members secured to said side members; a plurality of screens carried by said master frame, between said upper and lower transverse members, each of said screens comprising side bars and screen clothing having opposed margins secured to said side bars; flexible plates between saidside bars of the screens and the side members of the master frame, means to spread said side bars to flex said plates and tension the clothing, and means to impart blows to certain of the upper transverse members the master frame to vibrate the clothing of the screens through the master frame.

11. In a separator, the combination of a casing, a removable master frame mounted therein comprising side members and upper and lower transverse members secured thereto; upper and lower screens carried by said master frame between said upper and lower transverse members, each of said screens comprising side bars and screen clothing having opposed margins secured to said bars; angle plates having flanges extending along and secured to said bars and flanges projecting outward from said bars toward the side members of the master frame, and means for pressing said outward flanges toward the side members of the mas ter frame.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

- THOMAS J. STURTEVIXNT. 

